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Royals agree to terms with free agent infielder Omar Infante

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have agreed to terms with free agent infielder Omar Infante on a four-year contract, with a club option for 2018. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Infante, 31, hit .318 last season with 24 doubles, 10 homers and 51 RBI in 118 games for the Detroit Tigers. He played all 118 games at second base, but has started 188 games at shortstop, 63 games at third base and 67 in the outfield in his career. In 2013, he ranked fifth among Major League second basemen with a .450 slugging percentage and a .795 OPS. A right-handed hitter, Infante hit .301 (44-for-146) against left-handed pitching, and .326 (100-for-307) against righties. He also batted .325 (37-for-114) with runners in scoring position and had a .326 mark with runners on base (70-for-215). Omar is moving into a ballpark where he's seen a good amount of success, hitting .314 in Kauffman Stadium (49-for-156), his highest average in a visiting ballpark where he has at least 150 at bats.

A 2010 All-Star with the Atlanta Braves, Infante finished that season third in the National League with a career-best .321 batting average and 125 singles, which ranked fourth in the league. Over the past four seasons with Atlanta (2010), Miami (2011-12) and Detroit (2012-13), Infante has hit .295 with 93 doubles, 21 triples, 37 homers, 200 RBI and a .415 slugging percentage. His 21 triples since the start of 2010 are the most among Major League second basemen. Defensively, the 12-year veteran infielder led the National League in assists (466) as a Marlin in 2011, ranked fourth among N.L. second sackers with a .989 fielding percentage and fifth with 75 double plays.

Infante resides in Lecheria, Venezuela with his wife, Yohanna. The couple has one son, Yomar.